Kathie's recommendations for visiting Royal Flora in CM
Nov 18th, 2006, 04:47 PM
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Kathie's recommendations for visiting Royal Flora in CM
I usually save detailed reports for when I get home, but thought I'd do a post about this now, since many of you will likely be in CM before I get home.
First of all, Royal Flora is really a top class Horticultural exhibition. Do go if you are in CM before it closes on Jan 31.
We purchased a multi-entry ticket (400 baht in advance) and opted to go for several hours each morning on three days. This worked well for us. You can also go in the morning and return later in the day - just get hour hand stamped if you don't have a multi-day ticket.
Take a hat and/or an umbrella to keep the sun off.
Buy your tickets in advance (whether one day or multi day)
Unless you are a Thai resisdent, use the non-Thai resident line (usually line #2 at your far right as you look at the entrance). This line usually have very few people. Royal Flora employees can direct you. P)lan to get there just before the gates open at 9:00. Royal Flora employees can also give you a map - make sure you get an English map.
Do utilize the people-movers - electric vehicles. There are two types, one that holds about 60 people in two cars (30 baht), one that is golf-cart type that holds 10 (50 baht). The people movers are shaded, and the breeze they generate is welcome. You must buy a ticket at the large transit station to your left as you enter the gates. Note that the huge tour gruops (of which there are many) have a person handing out tickets to the groups, so they will not be buying tickets. It's rather of a madhouse, but if you know where you are going, you can do it quickly and efficiently.
Prioritize what you want to see. For us, the favorites were the orchid Garden, the International gardens (see especially Japan and Indonesia), the Shaded Paradise. Do see the gardens for a King and walk the processional way (perferably behind the brass band when it appears), and visit the art show beneath the King's pavillion. There are lots of beautiful vistas. A ride through the area on one of the people movers will give you lots of info on what you want to see.
There is an exhibit area that has rotating exhibits. Nov 17-27 is water plants and lotus. We really enjoyed this.
Enjoy Royal Flora - we certainly did!
First of all, Royal Flora is really a top class Horticultural exhibition. Do go if you are in CM before it closes on Jan 31.
We purchased a multi-entry ticket (400 baht in advance) and opted to go for several hours each morning on three days. This worked well for us. You can also go in the morning and return later in the day - just get hour hand stamped if you don't have a multi-day ticket.
Take a hat and/or an umbrella to keep the sun off.
Buy your tickets in advance (whether one day or multi day)
Unless you are a Thai resisdent, use the non-Thai resident line (usually line #2 at your far right as you look at the entrance). This line usually have very few people. Royal Flora employees can direct you. P)lan to get there just before the gates open at 9:00. Royal Flora employees can also give you a map - make sure you get an English map.
Do utilize the people-movers - electric vehicles. There are two types, one that holds about 60 people in two cars (30 baht), one that is golf-cart type that holds 10 (50 baht). The people movers are shaded, and the breeze they generate is welcome. You must buy a ticket at the large transit station to your left as you enter the gates. Note that the huge tour gruops (of which there are many) have a person handing out tickets to the groups, so they will not be buying tickets. It's rather of a madhouse, but if you know where you are going, you can do it quickly and efficiently.
Prioritize what you want to see. For us, the favorites were the orchid Garden, the International gardens (see especially Japan and Indonesia), the Shaded Paradise. Do see the gardens for a King and walk the processional way (perferably behind the brass band when it appears), and visit the art show beneath the King's pavillion. There are lots of beautiful vistas. A ride through the area on one of the people movers will give you lots of info on what you want to see.
There is an exhibit area that has rotating exhibits. Nov 17-27 is water plants and lotus. We really enjoyed this.
Enjoy Royal Flora - we certainly did!
Dec 6th, 2006, 10:10 AM
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I bought my tickets at Siam Paragon in Bangkok maybe 10 days before we were at Royal Flora. We purchased multi-day tickets, but Tangata, a local in CM, reports that they have stopped selling multi-day tickets.
You can buy single day tickets online or at many tickets outlets in Bangkok (if you are there first) or in CM. You have to specift what day you plan to be there when you buy the ticket.
You can buy single day tickets online or at many tickets outlets in Bangkok (if you are there first) or in CM. You have to specift what day you plan to be there when you buy the ticket.
Dec 6th, 2006, 12:07 PM
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I visited Royal Flora last week, and frankly, it didn't live up to my expectations. I work in the horticulture industry, so perhaps what I look for is different from most folks. I am interested in seeing plants, and I thought the show was more like Disneyland than a plant exhibition. It was noisy, crowded and hot, and hard to avoid being run down by the constant tram traffic. When I did find unique plants I was interested in, it was hard to get a photo without a bunch of people in the shot. I've attended large garden shows in north america, and I didn't think the show compared favorably.
